Matanzas High teen accused of attacking teacher's aide had been arrested for battery in the past: documents
Matanzas High student to be charged as adult in alleged attack
A 17-year-old student accused of ambushing a teacher's aid in a hallway at Mantanzas High School in Palm Coast – knocking her unconscious and repeatedly hitting her because he was upset his Nintendo Switch was taken away – will be charged as an adult, court records show.
PALM COAST, Fla. - Educators and authorities want to see changes made after video allegedly shows a teenager brutally attacking a teacher's aide in Flagler County because she took away his game console.
The 17-year-old accused in the assault will be charged as an adult – and this isn't the teen's first time being violent.
According to court documents, he was arrested three separate times for battery in 2019. Some have questioned why he wasn't placed in an alternative school for troubled youth.
FOX 35 has learned that Flagler County had to close their only alt-school in 2016 after voters denied a property tax to pay for the school.
Sheriff Rick Staly hopes this incident could change peoples' minds.
Content warning: The video below depicts violence and is intense. It may be unsuitable for some and viewer discretion is advised.
"What I really hope comes out of this is that the district will discuss reimplementing their specific school if you will for youthful offenders – especially the violent youthful offenders."
Officials say surveillance video released by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office shows the teacher's aide at Matanzas High School walking down the hallway and briefly looking back, when she is attacked by the student, who is described as approximately 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and 270 pounds.
The video appears to show the student pushing the aide several feet, and knocking her to the ground, where she then becomes unconscious. Officials say the boy is then seen kicking and punching the unconscious woman at least 15 times in the back and head until witnesses intervene and pull him off of her.
While in the classroom, the student reportedly made statements that he was upset that she took his Nintendo Switch and said he "will beat her up every time she takes away his game," an arrest report stated, and that "when he comes back he is going to kill her."
A spokesperson for Flagler Schools said the employee suffered broken ribs and significant bruising and has been released from the hospital. She has been with the district since 2004 and as a paraprofessional since 2021.
Educators say this violent case also highlights the need for greater mental health counseling in schools. The Florida Education Association has been asking for an extra $2 billion dollars in funding per year to make that happen.
The teen will be back in court next week.